Spring Fashions
Spring has arrived, no better way to celebrate the change of season than with Australian made fashion. It is no secret - our favourite millinery is that of Lauren J Ritchie! Lauren creates quality hats and headwear from her studio in Manchester Unity Building on Collins Street in the heart of Melbourne. Her pieces reflect a high standard of workmanship with strong and flowing design lines that colour match our designs beautifully.
Lauren can you please share with us the inspiration of your new collection?
“For this collection, I wanted to explore different varieties of flowers, and this came through in the silk poppies and wire peonies. The silk poppies are inspired by an existing flower I had seen but I wanted to create the colour variation so began exploring how I could create them myself. Each petal is cut and then painted in my studio before being constructed. The other pieces showcase my love for a draped bow that has movement in the tails. The name Manchester Spring is in honour of the Manchester Unity Building which I am fortunate to call for my studio. It looks out over the lovely Melbourne Town Hall on Collins Street and has a creative hum as I work away designing and making the pieces you see in the collection.”
Your advice for anyone keen to enter FOTF?
“Fashions on the Field is always exciting, the best advice I can give anyone heading along to an event is to feel happy and comfortable in what you are wearing. Nothing looks better than someone confident and proud of what they are wearing. Australian racing fashion is always a bright and colourful palette with lots of block colours, and combinations of warm pinks, yellows and reds.”
Can you please tell us about the materials you use?
“Millinery materials are ever-evolving with this comes excitement but also a challenge. In recent years the quality of woven straws has become more and more rough. To combat this as well as considering a sustainable approach where possible I have sourced second-hand vintage hats that I have pulled apart and upcycled to give a new life. It is existing to transform these beautiful materials into a new form.”
View the Lauren J Ritchie Manchester Spring collection here
Our designs, in order of appearance: Maree dress silk cotton, Bernadette silk floral, Penelope Liberty cotton needlecord
Millinery by Lauren J Ritchie Millinery @lauren.j.ritchie | Fashion Madi and Pip @madiandpip | Model Molly Richardson @thriftymissmolly | Photographer James Christie Media @jameschristiemedia | Stylist Joel Parkinson @j.oelparkinson | Jewellery JMS Diamonds @jmsdiamonds